Ayaka Yukihiro
| english = | spanish = }} is a fictional character from the manga series Negima!: Magister Negi Magi, created by Ken Akamatsu. The 29th student in Japanese alphabetical order of class 2/3-A, she is the bossy, controlling president (or iincho) of class 2/3A. A rich girl born in a life of luxury, she immediately becomes obsessed with her young teacher Negi Springfield from the moment of his arrival, a fact which leads to scornful accusations about her being obsessed with little boys, but which is actually due to an early tragedy in her life. Her closest connection in class is with layabout Asuna Kagurazaka, with whom she shares a love/hate relationship. Background and Personality Ayaka is the rich iinchō (委員長, class representative) as she is mostly called. She is the second daughter of the Yukihiro family. More often than not, she winds up being the only thing keeping the class in order, due to Negi's inexperience with handling large groups. She is currently the 3-A class president and is among the highest scorers on school exams, where she was last seen as ranked 4th in her whole grade. Ayaka is well-versed in both Japanese and European social customs. She and Asuna seem to hate each other, with the two often getting into fights, but it eventually becomes clear that they merely have an odd, but surprisingly close friendship that neither one is willing to admit to. As a class representative, Ayaka is charged with helping her classmates, and tries her best to understand them and their problems. Her overall success with this varies, but she was able to hold a conversation with Zazie Rainyday over the phone, despite the fact that the other didn't actually talk. Ayaka is the girl most overtly fond of Negi, though she maintains that she is interested in him only because he "needs a mother figure". A Botched Pactio Card was made, when she kissed a paper double of Negi during the trip to Kyoto.Mahou Sensei Negima!, chapter 37, pg. 55-56. While she likes Negi, she frequently gets into arguments with Kotarou, who is also of Negi's age. Negi, in her mind, is the perfect boy (smart, polite & nice), while Kotarou is just the opposite (rude, mean, and with more street smarts than intelligence). She seems assertive in pretty much everything she does, which tends to result in her being misunderstood. She is very good, however, at hiding her own past, such as the story about her younger brother who died at childbirth, which probably partly explains her fixation on Negi''Mahou Sensei Negima!, chp. 14, pg. 150-151, and makes her 'mother figure' assertion plausible. Ayaka's roommates are Chizuru, Natsumi, and later Kotarō (whom Chizuru introduced to her as Natsumi's little brother), and is in the equestrian and flower-arranging clubs. Even though Ayaka is a rich man's daughter (her family owns a zaibatsu/konzern), it has not stopped her from being well-versed in several unnamed martial arts, culminating in having a "ryuha" of her own (Yukihiro Ayaka-ryū). Her affection toward Negi increases substantially after witnessing his performance during the Mahora Fighting Tournament and learning about his missing father. While on the outside, she may appear to be a typically spoiled brat she is really a warm-hearted, kind and caring person who wants to help Negi as much as she possibly can. She even helped him to get back on good terms with Asuna when the two were briefly avoiding each other. She and several of the girls in the class have vowed to aid Negi in his quest to find his father, though Ayaka has proven to be the most sincere in this case. Though she is highly intelligent, she can often be naive and clueless in relation to the events surrounding her. Thus, many of her classmates incorrectly think of her as a fool (even if they won't say so out loud). Part in the Story Ayaka attaches herself towards Negi from the moment he arrives in 2-A, obsessively trying to win over his favor while representing the class as their iincho. While this could be seen by many as Ayaka's courtesy for the new teacher, Asuna sees this as part of a trap by her to seduce Negi and make him her own. Throughout the first few months of Negi's stay in Japan, Ayaka attempts several times to both win Negi's favour or to have some time alone with him, including showing off her physical assets in the bath''Mahou Sensei Negima!, chapter 3, pg. 111-113, trying to make herself become his partner''Mahou Sensei Negima!, chapter 15, pg. 161-163, even inviting him over to her mansion for the day (without knowing Asuna and Konoka would also tag along)''Mahou Sensei Negima!, chapter 14. While consistently obsessed in making sure the class reflected well being the iincho (including in testing''Mahou Sensei Negima!, chapter 9, pg.50 and in the class dodgeball game ''Mahou Sensei Negima!, chapter 5-6), most of Ayaka's inspiration for battle appeared to be just as much about class pride as it was about winning Negi. As Negi became embroiled in the many battles and magical conflicts tied with himself or other members of the class, Ayaka remained devoted towards assisting in any way possible, even if she had no idea in what she was getting into. During the conflict at Cinema Town in Kyoto, Ayaka attempted to use her own self-made martial arts style to fight against the hordes of Tsukiyomi's summoned minions before being taken out by one''Mahou Sensei Negima!, chapter 43, pg. 164-165. Later, as she witnessed her roommate Chizuru "adopt" ''hanyo Kotarou Inugami, she immediately found conflict with the demon rival of Negi''Mahou Sensei Negima!, chapter 67, pg. 83-87, yet could not help him further after being knocked out by Graf Herrman''Mahou Sensei Negima!, chapter 68, pg. 99. Yet as the scenery she found herself in became weirder, Ayaka's persistent Negi chase continued to grow more daring, including an attempt to kiss him during a game in Kyoto (only to kiss a doll and get a failed Pactio)Mahou Sensei Negima!, chapter 37, pg. 55-56 and an invitation for the two of them on her own island resort (ruined when over half the class followed along).Mahou Sensei Negima!, chapter 61, pg. 144-147 It is also during the stay in the island resort when Ayaka's closeness with Asuna is shown. While a number of the other girls were thinking of how to help Negi gain Asuna's forgiveness after their falling out prior to the trip, Ayaka knew that Asuna had, in her heart, already forgiven him, and told Asuna as such in an effort to help them reconcile.Mahou Sensei Negima!, chapter 62, pg. 163-175 As the year gave way to the arrival of the Mahora Festival, Ayaka (as class iincho) suddenly found herself busy running the class for the creation and the operation of their own haunted house exhibit (and nearly driving herself crazy while doing so)Mahou Sensei Negima!, chapter 78, pg. 120. In the midst of her operation, she still found time to spend with Negi, particularly during a loop of just the two of them on the first day for what she considered "the greatest day of her life".Mahou Sensei Negima!, chapter 90 By the second day, Ayaka discovers Negi in the Mahora Fighting tournament, leading her on an ambitious (and foolhardy) mission with many of the other stragglers in the class (including the sports girls, the cheerleaders and the twins) to see her beloved teacher fighting in person! Though nearly getting herself in trouble several times, Ayaka's devotion and discovery of the loss of Negi's father has made her more devoted to her teacher than ever. After Chao succeeds in her plan to reveal magic to the world, Ayaka remains devoted to Negi. When Negi and his group returns to the third day of the Mahora Festival, she is asked to make some major changes to the big event being planned. She adamantly refuses until she's told that it's a favour for Negi, at which point she immediately acquiesces.Mahou Sensei Negima!, chapter 146, pg. 119-121 In the initial stages, the participants are armed with magic guns and engage in combat with Chao's robots, under the pretense that it is part of a game. After accidentally being sucked into cyberspace with the activation of Chisame's Pactio, she and Makie assist in the protection of the barrier while Chisame fights against Chachamaru.Mahou Sensei Negima!, chapter 154 After the battle ends, she disappears to celebrate with the rest of the class... only to magically reappear when she hears that Chao has a book revealing whom Negi marries. During the start of the summer break, at Asuna's request, Ayaka returns with a folder that contained some information concerning Negi's father and his whereabouts. When she learns that Asuna will go with Negi to England, she immediately tried to get the folder back, but was unsuccessful in the attempt as Asuna demonstrates her new evasion skills. Afterwards she became involved in the Badge Collection game that Evangeline set up, in order to win the right to accompany Negi and his group to Wales. She tries for Asuna's badge but gets defeated easily after a few attempts even with her new moves, (though she does manage to score one hit on Asuna). In the end, Ayaka reluctantly accepts defeat and admits that Asuna and the others are more prepared than her to go with Negi, though she still wants a thorough explanation for when they return. At present, (chapter 178), during a trip to the beach, Ayaka announces that she, the Sports Girls and the Narutaki Twins, will be traveling to England separately, despite protests from Asuna. Though she claims that it would merely be a personal vacation, (and any encounters with the White Wing Club would be purely coincidental), it is most likely an excuse for her to accompany Negi to Wales. With the appearance of Negi's old friend Anya, Ayaka and the rest of the girls are curious as to what kind of relationship she has with the child teacher, and the class president is especially wary of anything of a romantic nature. However, even as Negi and his group begins to set out to Wales, Ayaka finally has her own plane for the trip ready: a special jet with Negi's image painted on the side. She and the others meet up with Negi's group and are currently enjoying the hospitality of Nekane's home and touring Negi's hometown. It also appears that Ayaka is becoming fast friends with Nekane. She makes an appearance just before the White Wing Club are about to leave for the portal to the Magic World. However, she keeps her promise not to interfere or go with them, and gets assurances from Asuna to watch out for Negi. Her decision to stay behind would save her life, as Negi and his entourage were immediately attacked by Fate after entering the portal, and she would most likely have been killed had she tried to follow along since her martial arts abilities are lower than those in Negi's party. Despite not going into the Magic World, Ayaka decided to continue assisting Negi and Asuna by getting some more information concerning Negi's father while they're away, with her receiving another report on him during her time in Wales. At the same time, she recieved a phone call from Evangeline, who tells her to return to Japan with the rest of the students that are currently in Wales, as Negi will return to Mahora Academy directly. She appears to be the only student in Negi's class to have some idea of Negi's magical background even though his secret was never revealed to her, and even states when Chao manages to reveal magic to the world, "I always thought there was something magic about you, sensei!" Abilities *'Leadership Skills': As class representative of homeroom 2/3-A, Ayaka is usually seen by her classmates as the one to go to when things get out of hand. She has a commanding presence which is essential to keeping the others calm and organized, though her own obsessive affection toward Negi can lead to flights of fancy. *'Purchasing Power': Ayaka's family is among the wealthiest in the world and practically any material item or information can be purchased or obtained on a whim. Such examples include any variety of herbal tea, (volume 2), information concerning Negi's father, (chapter 175), and a private jet to fly to England, (chapter 183). Her family's status is also useful for Negi and his crew as she can provide assistance in some magic-related stuff (without her knowing about the existence of magic). Examples of this include her family's company sponsor the "Mages vs. Mars" battle that Negi planned in order to get some needed reinforcements against Chao (chapter 146) and providing Asuna with the paperwork needed to form a school club, thus allowing Negi and his crew to get the funds needed to travel to Wales (chapter 169). *'Athletic Abilities': Ayaka is well versed in the martial arts, (though not at the current level that Asuna had undergone), and is also trained in riding horses. Her martial arts skills, while never explicitly shown, has been suggested to be very effective (and possibly violent) if the situation calls for it (although she was shown to be using aikijujitsu in the manga). This was hinted at early in the anime, before the dodgeball game with the Black Lilies, where Negi found out that she previously gained a notorious reputation in school for violently attacking a policeman to 'buy Asuna some time', although it was never stated what Asuna needed the 'extra time' for. *'Intellectual Ability': Ayaka is one of the more intelligent students in 2/3-A, frequently turning in impressive results during tests and examinations. It has often been suggested that she is one of the few students, along with Chao, Nodoka ,Kazumi,Chizuru,Konoka and Satomi, responsible for bringing up the average grades of the entire class only to have it pulled down abruptly by the much poorer grades of the rest of her classmates (especially by the Baka Rangers). She has also been shown to be very resourceful, as demonstrated by her ability to obtain the paperwork for Negi's party, including information about his father, as well as the ease of making changes to the Mahora Festival at the very last minute. *'Pactio' *Manga: Burgenesis Florens: While she unofficially has a Pactio card by Akamatsu, she has only received a mistake card in continuity. However it still possible for later. *Negima!: A formal dress with flowers. When she throws the petals at the demons, they have no effect. Then again, since flowers always seem to appear around her when Negi is concerned, (with or without a Pactio), this could just be part of her usual personality and not her real power.Mahou Sensei Negima! anime; episode 26. *'Negima!?' **Suka: Cheetah **Cosplay: Changed into a perfumer, she wears a classy dress with several cartridges of spray attached to a holster. Her ability allows her to immediately locate whomever's scent she finds on an object.Negima!? anime; episode 26.; Negi released this form for this student only in the final episode. **Armor: Preconscious Whip: Dressed with a leather corset and skirt and wearing a tiara, she wields a whip.Negima!? anime; episode 16. Ayaka in Other Media Mahō Sensei Negima! (1st Anime) Due to the accuracy of the anime to the original source, most of Ayaka's personality and obsessions remains in this rendition of the story. Her Pactio ability ends up having her throw flowers at her opponent, which ultimately do nothing (though this could be due to her innate personality and not her actual Pactio power)Mahou Sensei Negima! (anime), episode 26. In one episode of the anime, it's also shown that she plays violin, however it's unknown how well she can play''Mahou Sensei Negima! (anime), episode 19. Negima!? Ayaka retains most of her character traits from the manga as seen in this animated rendition. Her bossiness remains as high as ever, showing her take control of the class and pushing other students around until she gets her way at whatever she wants. This is shown off both as class iincho as well as the leader of the "Research Group" in the alternate Mahora Academy.''Negima!?, ep. 15 Similarly in portrayal is Ayaka's love/hate feelings towards Asuna, with her commentary towards the pigtailed redhead consistently contrasting with her own and with anything Asuna pulled immediately leading to displeasure and suspicion by the class iincho. Asuna's establishment of a Chupacabra club (which ultimately becomes a magic club) forces Ayaka to question the motives both of Asuna and any other members, making her spy on her to make sure she isn't doing anything including spending more time with Negi than she wants to.Negima!? ep. 10 In regards to Negi, her amorous, obsessive behavior remains, with her actions becoming more courteous and considerate whenever her teacher is around. Furthermore, Ayaka in this series becomes obsessed with the purchase and creation of a line of many Negi-themed merchandise by her own Yukihiro group, all of which either is sold to others or kept for herself so she would have "a little piece of Negi" around whenever he's not near her.Negima!? ep. 7, 9 Unlike many previous renditions, Ayaka is particularly paired off with sports girl Makie Sasaki, finding herself rooming with her and putting up with her own actions. After merely putting up with Makie early in the series and forcing her to put up with her own Negi obsessions, she suddenly begins to belittle the pink-haired girl, punishing her for "having no drive in her life" and ultimately saying that she "fails at being Makie Sasaki".Negima!?, ep. 10 Though she would tell this in her face time and again, many scenes do show that Ayaka can and does tolerate Makie just as much as she squelches her feelings. Prior to gaining an ability from the mass Pactio, Ayaka was infected by the second wave of Dark Seeds alongside Makie, Mana and Natsumi, where she is stopped by a combination of Negi and his three newer contracts: the twins Fuka & Fumika and Kaede.Negima!? ep. 10 Although Ayaka gains Pactio abilities during the mass contract, she is one of the few students to have all three forms invoked, all of which during the second half of the series. Negi ends up invoking her Armor form at one point to save Asuna from a mass of dark spores, turning her into a whip-wielding female warrior.Negima!?, ep. 16 During the "Suka incident", she turns into a cheetah, primarily seen as the mother of a "family" including "child" Makie and "father" Motsu.Negima!?, ep. 19 Finally, during the "Final Pactio invocation", she reveals her Cosplay form: a perfumer who can trace things by their scents, essential in use after Negi receives a black rose with the scent of his father Nagi Springfield still on it.Negima!?, ep. 26 Promotional materials and the ending sequence show Ayaka playing the flute as her instrument of choice. But like the violin in the first series, it is not known how well she plays it. Also, while she is an able equestrian, as shown in the first series, she is also adept at other sports, particularly volleyball. This is shown when she carelessly uses her spiking ability to drive a literally red-hot Star Crystal into a column and later tells Asuna that her athletic abilities have become "sharper than ever before" during that moment.Negima!?, ep. 15 Footnotes Category:Characters Category:Female Category:Class 3-A